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Indepedent review for the Atherton Tablelands - terms of reference
Background
The Honourable Tim Mulherin, MP, Minister for Primary Industries, Fisheries and Rural and Regional Queensland announced a fresh approach to growing Queensland's primary industries in a speech to a Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) forum in Townsville on 24 June 2008.
The Fresh Approach Initiative refocuses the way Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries (QPIF), part of the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (formerly the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries), works to achieve the vision of a $34 billion industry by 2020 - almost three-times today's value.
The Fresh Approach is based around three pillars:
- building skills for our future
- delivering innovative research partnerships to grow investment
- networking and modernising services.
The Minister used his CEDA address to outline his vision for the Atherton Tablelands. Central to plans is to have one purpose-built facility on the Tablelands, which capitalises on the uniqueness of the Tablelands and its potential for economic growth and potential opportunities such as molecular bio-pharming, value-added food products and tropical products.
The facility would replace the Australian Agricultural College Corporation's (AACC) Mareeba campus and the ageing facilities of Kairi, Walkamin and Southedge. To this end, the Minister has committed to an independent review to assess a location for a purpose-built facility and its functionality. This review will include detailed consultation with staff, industry and the community. As the Minister stated in his address to CEDA, the facility on the Tablelands could be at a new or one of the above existing sites.
Scope
The scope of this review is to provide independent advice on the preferred location on the Atherton Tablelands for a suitable fit-for-purpose facility consistent with the Minister's vision outlined in his address to CEDA on 24 June 2008.
In undertaking this review, the following considerations need to be taken into account:
- current activities
- future opportunities for research, development and extension (RD&E) (need to consider not just expanding current industries on the Tablelands but also emerging industry opportunities)
- potential private and public partnerships (in particular vocational and research providers)
- training needs
- capacity to build skills
- cost-effectiveness
- investment attraction
- fit-for-purpose.
Role
- Consult with QPIF staff, future partners, local government, State and Federal MPs and industry on RD&E needs into the future and potential site location
- Consult with the Atherton Tablelands Steering Committee
- Provide an analysis of the attributes of each site considered
- Develop options
- Consider advice provided by key stakeholders
- Provide a final recommendation to QPIF's Associate Director-General on the preferred location of a fit-for-purpose facility on the Tablelands
Reporting
The independent consultancy team is required to provide fortnightly progress reports to QPIF's Associate Director-General. The Steering Committee for the Atherton Tablelands will oversee the consultancy.
The independent consultancy team will also provide a final report to QPIF's Associate Director-General which outlines:
- the views of staff and industry
- the considerations that have been taken into account in making the final recommendation
- a final recommendation on the best site to establish an RD&E fit-for-purpose facility on the Atherton Tablelands.
QPIF's Associate Director-General will submit the final independent report to the Minister for Primary Industries, Fisheries and Rural and Regional Queensland for his consideration.
Timeframe
The consultancy will commence on Monday, 18 August 2008 and conclude at the end of September with the submission of the final report to the QPIF's Associate Director-General.
